Amira Willighagen is a gifted young Opera singer to be reckoned with

André Rieu performances are truly magnificent events. Members of his Johann Strauss Orchestra dress exquisitely—men wear fine suits while women don dazzling, sequined gowns. The performance area features elegant drapery and floral arrangements, with even the music stands appearing ornate and shiny. For anyone seeking luxury entertainment, an André Rieu show delivers splendidly.

The setting in our initial video clip is particularly celebratory. Rieu created an extravagant display for the tenth anniversary of his concerts in Vrijthof Square, Maastricht (his hometown). During July 11-12, 2014, the square transformed into a Venetian paradise, described on his official website as featuring "a Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge, a fabulous Italian fountain and a colorful Venetian masquerade." These performances were captured for the CD & DVD titled "Love in Venice" (2014). Our featured excerpt shows André Rieu playing violin alongside young soprano Amira Willighagen performing Giacomo Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro" (with lyrics by Giovacchino Forzano).

Viewers outside the Netherlands might not recognize Amira Willighagen. This remarkable performer won Holland's Got Talent in October 2013 at just nine years old with her outstanding operatic abilities. During the competition, she performed "O Mio Babbino Caro," Gounod's "Ave Maria," and Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" for the final round. Her talent quickly earned her appearances on television programs across the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, and South Africa (her mother's homeland).

Willighagen released her first album, titled "Amira," in the Netherlands on March 28, 2014. It achieved Gold status within two weeks, setting the stage for her July 2014 appearance with Rieu. One viewer, Keshari Suthar, praised the video: "Andre Rieu and his fabulous orchestra provide world class platform for upcoming singers like Amira. Her singing is singularly soulful, spellbinding, superb, sincere and sweet."

Amira Willighagen's newest video (October 20, 2023) features a collaboration with the Ndlovu Youth Choir, finalists from AGT 2019. The song "Amen" gained 6,800 views in just three days at the time of writing. This track shows tremendous promise!

Willighagen's partnership with the Ndlovu Youth Choir connects to more than her mother's South African roots. Half the profits from Amira's concerts and recordings support her Lucky Children Foundation (Stichting Gelukskinders), which builds and maintains playgrounds in South African townships. The inspiration came when seven-year-old Amira visited her grandmother in South Africa and noticed children had no proper play areas—they simply "ran and threw stones." Just three years later, she inaugurated her first playground in Ikageng, a township near Potchefstroom, South Africa.

In January 2018, Amira relocated to South Africa with her brother, Fincent, and mother, Frieda, following her parents' divorce. After moving to South Africa, Willighagen has continued to release music and give numerous performances across Europe (especially in Holland) and throughout South Africa. Her latest CD, released in September 2023, captures a Christmas concert held in Bergeijk, Southern Netherlands, in December 2022. At just 19 years old, Amira Willighagen has accomplished remarkable achievements and built a solid foundation for a thriving career.

Raymond Morgan offers a touching perspective in his YouTube comment about Amira's performance with André Rieu: "This performance will be marked as one of the greatest ever taking music and our emotions to new heights. A 10 year old Dutch-speaking girl singing complex Italian effortlessly from one of the world's most emotional operatic arias. The final word is Pietà which means Mercy or Pity: and it is heart-breaking to hear such a young girl Prolong those notes with such skill, feeling and intensity – and show it in her eyes – especially as she had just sung O Dio Vorrei Morir – O God I should want to die. Thank-you."